It's not clear whether Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will accept the resignation. Sources said Hamdallah made the because of interference by Abbas with the prime minister's duties.

Abbas named Hamdallah, president of a West Bank university, as his new prime minister on June 2 and asked him to form a new Cabinet.

Hamdallah replaced Salam Fayyad, who had led a caretaker government since Abbas accepted his resignation in April.

Fayyad's decision to step down was viewed as a step toward the possible establishment of a unity government between the two main Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas.

Hamdallah is a British-educated linguist and longtime academic. He became president of An-Najah National University in the West Bank city of Nablus in 1998 and was finalizing his departure from the post after he accepted the prime minister's job.